CARNARIA. Ill 



a white spot under the eye. The French of Pondicherry call it 

 the Palm Martin or Marie des palmiers.[\) 



Mangusta, Cuv. Herpestes, Illig. 



The pouch voluminous and simple ; the anus pierced in its depth. 

 The hairs are annulated with light and obscure tints, which deter- 

 mine their general colour on the eye. 



IVie Mangouste of Egypt, so celebrated among the ancients 

 under the name of Ichneumon; Viverra ichneumon, L. ; Buff. 

 Supp. Ill, xxvi, is grey, with a long tail terminated with a 

 black tuft ; it is larger than our Cat, and as slender as a Mar- 

 ten. It chiefly hunts for the eggs of the Crocodile, but also 

 feeds on all sorts of small animals j brought up in houses, it 

 hunts Mice, Reptiles, Sec. By the Europeans at Cairo it is 

 called Pharaoh's Rat ; by the natives, Nems. The ancient tra- 

 dition of its jumping down the throat of the Crocodile to de- 

 stroy it, is entirely fabulous. 



The 31angouste of India; Viv. mitngos, Lin.; Buff. XIII, xix, 

 and that of the Cape, Viv. cafra, Gm.; Schreb. CXVI, B, are 

 smaller, both having a pointed tail, and a grey or brown fur, 

 the latter being more of an ashy, and the former more of a fawn 

 colour, having besides some red about the cheeks and jaws. 



The Mangouste of India is celebrated for its combats with 

 the most dangerous serpents, and for having led us to the 

 knowledge of the Ophiorhiza mongos as an antidote to their 

 poison. 



There is also the Mangouste of Java .&. Javanicus, red- 

 dish brown; cheeks of a chesnut-red ; throat more fawn co- 

 loured : a large one from the marshes of the Cape H. palu- 

 dinosus, of an almost uniform reddish-brown, verging to a 

 black, a little lighter on the chin : a third from the Cape H. 

 penicillatus, of a greyish fawn colour, tip of the tail white: one 

 from Senegal H. albicaiidus, grey, tail all white: it is difficult, 

 however, to establish very specific differences between these 

 animals. 



Ryz^na, Illig. 



The Surikates have a strong resemblance to the Mangoustes, even 



to the tints and transverse streaks of the hair, but are distinguished 



from them and from all the Carnivora of which we have hitherto 



, spoken, by having only four toes to each foot. They also are higher 



(1) It is the pretended Genette de France of Buffon, Supp, III, pi. xlvii, the Ci- 

 vette a bandeau of Geoff. 



